Keyboard noise
You hear
Every keypress clicks through on the call, loudest with a mechanical keyboard.
Keyboard noise is the mic hearing your desk. Distance and a mic aimed at your mouth do most of the work, then suppression or push to talk.
Likely causes, in order
Check them top to bottom. The room and the mic come first because no setting can remove what a closer mic or a closed door would.
| 01 · Layer | 02 · Likely cause | 03 · Fix |
|---|---|---|
| 01 · Room | The keyboard sits right next to the mic, or it is a loud mechanical board | Move the mic away from the keyboard and closer to your mouth, or use a headset whose mic sits by your mouth distance |
| 02 · Mic | A sensitive condenser mic, or one that is not aimed at you, hears the whole desk | Point a cardioid mic at your mouth with the keyboard behind it, or switch to a dynamic mic in a noisy room aim the mic |
| 03 · App | Voice activation opens the mic for loud clicks as well as your voice | Raise the voice activation threshold until a keypress on its own no longer opens the mic threshold |
| 04 · App | Noise suppression is off, or set too gently for clicks | Turn noise suppression on; Webex's Noise removal and Google Meet's noise cancellation both name typing suppression on |
| 05 · App | Your mic stays open while you type and someone else is talking | Use push to talk, or hold the spacebar to unmute in Zoom or Webex, so the mic opens only while you speak push to talk |
By app
- Webex
- Webex's Noise removal names keyboard typing among the background noise it removes. With Unmute temporarily by holding Spacebar checked, you can stay muted while you type.
- Google Meet
- Meet's noise cancellation can remove typing, along with a closing door, room echo and building work.
- Steam voice chat
- Valve says that if others hear typing or other background sound, raise the voice transmission threshold to High.
- Discord
- With Push to Talk, Discord sends audio only while you hold your key, and the Push to Talk Release Delay slider sets how long it waits after you let go. With Voice Activity, set the sensitivity marker high enough that nothing is sent while you are not speaking.
- Zoom
- Zoom's Medium suppression level targets fans and tapping sounds. Press and hold Space key to temporarily unmute lets you stay muted while you type and talk only while you hold the spacebar.
Check it with the test
Type during the first step, when you would normally be quiet. Each keypress shows as a jump on the live meter and in the Peak reading, even if the noise floor stays low. Then turn the mic toward your mouth, move the keyboard away and compare.
Run the noise test →Questions
Q.01Will noise suppression remove keyboard clicks?
Often. Webex and Google Meet both name typing among the noises they remove. Moving the mic away from the keyboard still helps, because no filter has to remove a click the mic never picks up.
Q.02Is a dynamic mic better with a loud keyboard?
RØDE says condenser mics are highly sensitive and tend to pick up more background noise, and suggests a dynamic mic in noisier rooms.
Q.03Does push to talk stop keyboard noise?
It stops it between your sentences. Clicks you make while holding the key still go through.
Related problems
- Laptop mic picks up typing Typing on the laptop thuds and clicks straight into the call through the built-in mic.
- Mic picks up everything The mic hears the whole house: other people, the TV, the kitchen, the street.
- Background noise Fans, traffic, keyboards, a TV or people in the room behind your voice.
Checked against
Vendor help pages and manufacturer guides, last checked :
- help.rode.com · Why Does My Microphone Pick Up Background Noise and Keyboard Clicks?
- shure.com · Microphone Directionality and Polar Pattern Basics
- help.steampowered.com · Voice Chat Connection and Quality Issues
- support.discord.com · Voice Input Modes 101 (Push-to-Talk & Voice Activated)
- help.webex.com · Webex App: Change Your Audio Settings
- help.webex.com · Webex App: Remove Background Noise and Speech in Calls and Meetings
- support.google.com · Filter Out Noise from Your Meeting on Google Meet
- support.zoom.com · Setting Up Professional Audio for Zoom Meetings
- support.zoom.com · Changing Settings in the Zoom Workplace Desktop and Mobile App